Achieving High-Temperature Stable Structural Color through Nanostructuring in Polymer-Derived Ceramics.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Ceramics

Background:

• Conventional pigments degrade under UV light and often contain toxic substances.
• Structural colors offer a stable, environmentally friendly alternative.
• Ceramic-based structural colors are desirable for high-performance applications, but fabrication remains challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pioneer the fabrication of noniridescent structural colors from silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs).
• To develop a functionally graded material with an inverse photonic glass (FGM-PhG) structure for vivid and saturated colors.
• To demonstrate the thermal stability and processability of these novel ceramic structural colors.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of SiOC PDC with an embedded inverse photonic glass nanostructure.
• Utilized a stepwise coating deposition process to create a functionally graded material (FGM).
• Transferred the fabrication process to an additive manufacturing approach to showcase processing flexibility.

Main Results:

• Successfully created noniridescent structural colors from SiOC PDC with a unique FGM-PhG structure.
• The structural colors exhibited vividness and maintained saturation even in white surroundings due to SiOC's light-absorbing properties.
• Demonstrated remarkable thermal stability, withstanding 1000 °C for 100 hours.

Conclusions:

• The study presents a novel method for fabricating highly thermally stable ceramic structural colors using PDCs.
• The developed FGM-PhG structure offers a promising route to advanced, durable, and vivid coloration.
• These SiOC PDC-based structural colors represent a significant advancement in thermally stable, pigment-free coloration technologies.